Floor construction



FLOOR CONSTRUCTION Filed oct. 18 1927 mf ATTORNEY2 Patented Oct. 15, 1929 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FLOOR `GONSTRU'C'IION Application filed October '18, 1952.7.r Serial No. 226,844..

Our present invention relates generally to concrete floor construction, and has particular reference to a method of laying so-,called iireproof floors of concrete or similar masonry; coordinately, our'invention relates to a structural beam designed for use in such a method.

Our invention relates primarily to shortspan work in connection with which it has been customary heretofore to provide specially built forms not only beneath and around the steel beams defining the gaps to be iioored, but also beneath the'gaps themselves, this form work being designed to rea celve and support poured concrete or similar masonry until-the latter has set. Such a procedure is obviously expensive in its requirement for special construction work in the designing and erection of the temporary forms.

.'20 Such prior procedure has proven expensive also from the standpoint of quantity of concrete employed, and it has therefore been customary in many cases to employ so-called 35 nately, it is an object of our invention to provide a self-supporting and also self-centering structural beam designed eventually to form an'integral part of the finished floor construction and at the same time fulfilling'the func- 40 tion of both the ytemporary form work and obviating the necessity for employing blocks ofno supporting utility. Y

More specifically, it is an object of our invention to provide a structural beam of concrete or similar masonry which is reinforced vand so constructed as tobe applicable in complementary relationship with a set of similarly constructed and employed beams (a) to initially seal the gap and thereby obviate the necessity for 1form work, (b) to define the ceiling of the space beneath, to support additional reinforcement and fresh concrete, to minimize to the fullest extent the amount of fresh concrete to be poured, and (e) where desired, to deiinethe upper flooring surface.

One feature of our invention resides in the provision of a set of beams so constructed and arranged as to be arrangeable in complementary adjacence to fulfillk the functions outlined above. In a preferred construction, the beams are so configured that their lower surfaces complement eachother to seal the gap and to define the ceiling beneath; the upper portions of the beams meanwhile pro- G5 viding a channelled construction which is designed to accommodate additionalv reinforcedor unreinforced concrete.

A particular feature lies in so constructing the complementary beams that the yfreshly poured concrete will arrange itself in suc-h conjunction therewith as to provide a series of T sections whose desirable characteristics of strength are well known. o F Another feature of our inventionlies in 7a providing a beam whose construction and manufacture are simple innature and whose self-supporting and self-centering characteristics Vare of the highesty possiblecharacter with respect to size and amount of material employed. In one form of our invention, the beam is a hollow or tubular structure having two substantially vertical reinforced stiffening webs; in a preferred form, the beam embodies only one stiffening web and is designed 00 kfor complementary employment with a similar juxtaposed beam to form a two-part tubular structure.k

One of the features of our invention resides in constructing the beam of substantially trapezoidal cross-section, thereby permitting the achievement in a simple manner of the functions outlined.

For the attainment of the foregoing objects and such other objects as may hereinafter appear or be pointed out we have illustrated several forms of our invention in the accompanying drawings in which- Fig. l is a plan view'of a portion of a steel 100 the floor construction flreproof. vrary form work comprises the supporting structure with the floor construction of the present invention in course of construction;

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially along the line 2 2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view at right angles to Fig. 2 and taken substantially along the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4l is a diagrammatic view showing one step in the process of manufacturing a prefer-red form of beam; y

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 'el showing another step in said process; and

Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a preferred form of structural beam embodying the fe-atures of our invention.

In Figure 1, we have illustrativelyshown four columns 10, 11, 12, and 13, structuralv steel beams 14, 15, 16, and 17 extending between the columns, and structural' steel beams l 1 8 and 19 extending between the beams 14 and 16. The arrangement'of 'these steel columns and vbeams is merely illustrative, vand provides three adjacent short-span vareas or gaps which are to be loored.

In VFigure 2 we have shown the steel beam 18 in cross-section, and our invention calls for the usual provision ofthe temporary form work beneath and 'aroun-d'this beam to render The tempohooks or wires 2O Aand 21, the upper ends extending about the upperflange of the beam 18 and the lower ends passing yaround and supporting a 'series'of wooden blocks 22.

Constructed upon the blocks 22 is "the form worlr which is obviously of substantially U-shaped cross-section comprising the bottom boards 23, the side boards 24 and 25, 'and the outwardly disposed rtop lboards 26- and 27. The bottom boards 23 are vspaced from the bottom flange of the beam 18 -bymeans of suitable spacing elements, it being understood that the concrete when poured into the form will completely embed and thereby render tireproof the steel-beam 18.'`

IIeretofore it has been customary `to extend this form work across the entire gap, i.e., between the beam 18 and the beams 15 and 19 on opposite sides thereof. In accordance with our present invention,vsuch additional form work is unnecessary. Instead, a series of reinforced concrete beams, of a self-supporting and also self-centering"nature, are

made to span these gaps.

In Figp6 a substantially horizontal ltop plate 32 is spaced from a substantially-horizontal bottom plate 33, anda singl'esubstantially vertical reinforced stilfcning web 34 extends between one edge of the top plate 32 and a medialportion of the bottom plate 33. Obviously, two beams constructed as Vin Figure/f6 when arranged in juxtaposed relationship will form a composite beam. y

A set ofpbeams as yshown in Figure 6'has 'been illust'rat'edin Figure 1 inthe'course of the completed floor.

tion embodies la series of spaced L:channels which extend downwardly to the abutting bottom plates 33. N

In Figuref2 we have shownthe manner in which the beams are supported at their ends upon the wooden blocks 26 and 27 forming the upper part of the rform work about the steel beam 18.

After the entire fgap 'has been completely sealed by laying a suliicient'numberof-beams across, freshly prepared concrete yfor similar masonry is pou'redonto and about the'steel beam 18, and also into the channelspresented by the composite floor construction initially applied. The latter is suiiiciently strong to support the necessary laborers,`etc., and the freshly poured concrete, land iff-desired, ad;n

ditional strips or bars of "reinforcing maybe laid in the channels rbeforethe concrete :is

poured. Similarly, suitable y:reinforcing strips or bars may beapplied transversely across the upperii'ange of thebeam 18'before the concrete is poured soi as totake care-'of the negative moment along this'line. y y

l/Ve'have-found 1t advantageous to bevelfthe ends of the vconcrete beams, astshown-in `lFigure 2, so as to facilitate the 'pouringf TeensA crete into the form aboutthe's'teel'beam. It'is' 'frequently desirable also'to sealgthes'eibeveled ends'with'plates or'the like,to prevent waste of concrete which may find its way ffintosthe :interior thereof.

The concrete will bepoure'dfto atleastthe 'i level of the Vupper surfaces 'of the concrete beams. Where desired,'this amount ofp'ou'ring will be sufficient, and the floor can then be finished olf by the application of any'de'sired layer of cement or'the like. Whendesired,

the concrete may be poured notonlytothe level of the upper surfaces but also slightly beyond, as shown in Figures 2 and A'3, andit will be noted that a unitary floor `construction results wherein the initially laid concrete beams are integrally embodied. "Itwill'also be noted thatthej poured concrete arrangesitself in such relationship'tothe topQplaftes as'to provide T sections andthereby -Vaifords a ,1 0

maximum amount of supporting 'strength 'to In Figure 3 we have yshow'na'n auxiliary beam 35which is illustrative o fa type'which may be employed lwhenever a slight stillV 'remains to bev sealed adjacent to ione ofthe steel beams. Thus, in Figure 3, the'formwork about the steel `be`am 11 embotliesftlie y`top board 36, Vand the extreme edge`3'7-of Lvthe closest concrete beam'38falls slightly short `of ,130

the outer edge of the"board"`36. The application of an additional concrete beam of the usual construction would be impractical, and accordingly, the small auxiliary concrete beam 35 is employed. This beam has a horizontal reinforced plate which aligns itself with and thereby complements the other horizontal plates, and a single vertical stiffening web extending upwardly to the level of the upper surfaces ofthe other concrete beams. Obviously, the auxiliary beam 35 may be constructed in a variety of Ways for fulfilling the same function.

After the unitary floor construction has set, it will be understood that the form work about and beneath the steel beams is removed in the usual manner and the ceiling, as well as the construction in general, is finished olf in the usual manner.

In Figures 4 and 5 we have shown a preferred method of constructing the beams of Y Figure 6. A suitable mold 39 is provided, into nest-ing relationshipwith which a complementary mold member 40 is design-ed to move. The steel reinforcing 41 is first applied to the mold 39 and properly positioned from the surfaces thereof; thereupon concrete 42 may be poured to approximately the level shown in Figure 4; and when the mold member 40 is then brought down into the position shown in Figure 5, the plastic concrete will spread out as shown in Figure 5 and harden into the reinforced structure of Figure 6.

It will be understood that wherever the term concrete has been employedV herein, any similar type of poured masonry is intended to be included, since our invention is obviously not limited to the material technically and strictly known as concrete Furthermore, our invention is applicable to an equally advantageous degree in the YPS of construction wherein steel beams are dispensed with and reinforced concrete beams are employed. In such an event, the form work which we have herein illustrated as depending from the steel beams would be shored from beneath, but it would still embody the elements 26 and 27 upon which the ends of our structural beams rest.

It will be obvious that many changes in the details herein described and illustrated for the purpose of explaining the nature of our invention may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as expressed in the appended claims. It is therefore intended that these details be interpreted as illustrative y and not in alimiting sense.

I-Iaving thus described our invention and illustrated its use, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is- 1. A'flooring block substantially U-shaped in cross-section with one arm of the U extended beyond the base of the U.

in cross-section with one arm of the U extended beyond the base of the U,'said arms, base, and extension being of reinforced concrete.

In witness whereof, we have signed this specification this 14 day of October, 1927. FRIDTJ OV SEVERUD.

BENNETT MYERS.

2. A flooring block substantially U-shaped i 

